Karou's friends think she's normal. They assume, however often she tells them that her bright blue hair grows that colour, that she dyes it. They think her frequent errands are just normal everyday things to earn money. They believe the snake-bodied
being she draws in her sketchbook is a figment of her imagination. They're wrong.

Brought up lovingly by a quartet of strange creatures residing in a place she calls Elsewhere, Karou now lives in modern-day Prague but uses portals to travel around collecting teeth for the bizarre Brimstone, a ram headed magician who is the closest thing she has to a father.

Just as we settle into this strange double world of Karou's, mysterious handprints appear near the portals to Elsewhere. And things change completely…

This is probably going to sound like the most backhanded compliment ever, but I absolutely adored this paranormal romance until the love interest came into it. That's not to say it screeched to a halt or anything with the introduction of the guy Karou falls for – but it was going so spectacularly well, with world-building to die for and my favourite central character for years, that when it ended up being
just a very, very good story along similar lines to many other recent ones I was a little disappointed.

In fairness to this novel, while it's following well-trodden footsteps, it's several notches above the vast majority of this genre just from Taylor's absolutely gorgeous writing. Exquisitely lyrical, the prose is wonderful throughout the book. She also provides us with, as I've said, a wonderful heroine who can hold her own against
powerful enemies, and a rich and varied supporting cast, with human friend Zuzana being particularly well drawn.

Oh, one warning – pack some body armour; the ending will make you feel as though you've been punched in the gut! In a good way, honestly… it certainly sets up the next in this trilogy really well.

So, overall, not the book of the year which I was hoping it would be after that breathtaking start – but not far off at all. Very high recommendation to fans of the genre.